Forced leave in bulk

Potential-Monke

So i recently came back to the private sector after 10 years in the public, and it's quite different, so i'm not 100% on private sector entitlements.

Anyway, i work in a call centre, and we got an email recently about leave during the summer months. Basically, they're saying that if we want 1 day or 7 during the summer months, we have to take a week.

So, in my example, there is a long weekend i need off, Thursday 13/06 to Monday 17/06. Taking in my 2 rest days, i really only need 3 more days leave. But now i'm being told that i'll have to use 10 days leave because i need to have the week that the leaves starts and the following week also due to needing the Monday, ie: 10/06 to 23/06 inclusive.

Is this legal? I completely understand the reasoning behind it, but surely i can't be forced to take leave i don't want just to make someone elses' life easier with regards to scheduling? Can employers force this kind of a rule? I don't want to take 8 days off just because i need 3. I know most people take a week or two during the summer for holidays, but i take most of my leave around November, i don't do summer holidays (because i'm ginger and hate the sun).

testicles

This post has been deleted.

dudara

Your employer does have the final say on when you take your leave. Have you approached your supervisor/manager about this? They may be able to help you on this.

Bredabe

Potential-Monke wrote: »

So i recently came back to the private sector after 10 years in the public, and it's quite different, so i'm not 100% on private sector entitlements.

Anyway, i work in a call centre, and we got an email recently about leave during the summer months. Basically, they're saying that if we want 1 day or 7 during the summer months, we have to take a week.

So, in my example, there is a long weekend i need off, Thursday 13/06 to Monday 17/06. Taking in my 2 rest days, i really only need 3 more days leave. But now i'm being told that i'll have to use 10 days leave because i need to have the week that the leaves starts and the following week also due to needing the Monday, ie: 10/06 to 23/06 inclusive.

Is this legal? I completely understand the reasoning behind it, but surely i can't be forced to take leave i don't want just to make someone elses' life easier with regards to scheduling? Can employers force this kind of a rule? I don't want to take 8 days off just because i need 3. I know most people take a week or two during the summer for holidays, but i take most of my leave around November, i don't do summer holidays (because i'm ginger and hate the sun).

Double check that with your HR(going heavy on the im new.....stick), if that still doesnt make any sense, have a chat with citizens advice(i beleve they do email queries now) would seem to me that employers would be happy to have someone working through the summer and be off when staff are all back, tho there maybe other factors at play this year. Good luck.

Avatar MIA

testicles wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Usually an employee requests leave and an employer grants it and works around.

However, in large companies with significant numbers of operational level staff they will work off a set policy.

It's unlikely more senior staff will have to work under the same constraints.

This is legal.

Potential-Monke

That's fair enough, just not used to being able to apply for the leave i want rather than what suits the company. It's a small enough call centre, only about 200 staff and only 20 odd in my department. I've said it to my team leader and a few others, but they all say the same, it's the way it is. Ah well, time to send out a few cv's! Cheers folks!

eeguy

Potential-Monke wrote: »

That's fair enough, just not used to being able to apply for the leave i want rather than what suits the company. It's a small enough call centre, only about 200 staff and only 20 odd in my department. I've said it to my team leader and a few others, but they all say the same, it's the way it is. Ah well, time to send out a few cv's! Cheers folks!

Best of luck with the job hunt.
Unfortunately the employer has final say as to when holidays are taken.

There's plenty of factories that shut for 2 weeks over the summer and that's when all employees are required to take their holidays regardless of personal circumstances

Bredabe

Potential-Monke wrote: »

That's fair enough, just not used to being able to apply for the leave i want rather than what suits the company. It's a small enough call centre, only about 200 staff and only 20 odd in my department. I've said it to my team leader and a few others, but they all say the same, it's the way it is. Ah well, time to send out a few cv's! Cheers folks!

Glad you posted this, it would not occur to me that this type of practice would be in play outside of manufacturing. Im forewarned now.

Samuel T. Cogley

People taking a day here and a day there can potentially block that week for other people. It's not great but I can see why the employer is doing it.

amtc

Company handbook for my last couple of jobs specified had to take two weeks. Health and safety.

Zaph

amtc wrote: »

Company handbook for my last couple of jobs specified had to take two weeks. Health and safety.

It's the same where I work, except that it's also used as an anti-fraud measure as someone might be able to cover something dodgy up for a week, but two would be very difficult. However outside of the two weeks we are able to take days off whenever we need to (as long as someone else hasn't booked the days) without having to take a whole week.

Samuel T. Cogley

Zaph wrote: »

It's the same where I work, except that it's also used as an anti-fraud measure as someone might be able to cover something dodgy up for a week, but two would be very difficult. However outside of the two weeks we are able to take days off whenever we need to (as long as someone else hasn't booked the days) without having to take a whole week.

To be fair the OP has specified 'summer months' that seems totally reasonable to me as most people look to take a week or two during the summer and it's quiet so it's when you want your staff off anyway.

OP are you allowed to take a day here and there at other times during the year, out of interest?

Potential-Monke

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

To be fair the OP has specified 'summer months' that seems totally reasonable to me as most people look to take a week or two during the summer and it's quiet so it's when you want your staff off anyway.

OP are you allowed to take a day here and there at other times during the year, out of interest?

Yeah, seems to be the case. Just the summer months. I never heard of anything like having to take leave in bulk before, so i wasn't sure if it's legal or not. I know now, sucks a bit, but what can i do!